chuck_nbcfandomcom-20200214-history
Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer
|next= }} Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer is the fifth episode in Season Two, which aired on October 27, 2008. It is the eighteenth episode overall. Synopsis Jeff Barnes is the center of attention when he is sought use his video game skills to save the world by beating Missile Command, as terrorists try to find a hidden missile code through the game using Jeff. Chuck must get Jeff back on his feet as Jeff is no longer Missile Command World Champion. Meanwhile, Big Mike brings a new sheriff to the Buy More. Full Plot Jeff Barnes is reminiscing about winning the Missile Command World Championship in San Fernando Valley, 1983. The announcer says that Jeff has raised the level of video gaming to an art form. When asked what's next, Jeff replies "How can I make up my mind when there are so many tasty options". We then see Jeff in the current time at the Buy More where he again says "I have so many tasty options" while looking at a vending machine. Chuck is awakened by his alarm clock and notices he still has on last night's name tag and clothes. As he rushes to exit the apartment, Ellie and Devon ask him to not miss the most important meal of the day (breakfast) by offering a ginseng protein shake, which, according to Devon, among other things does wonders for your wang energy. Ellie noted that Chuck got in very late last night to which he explained that he was playing video games. Devon asked what happened to all of Chuck's big plans. Ellie added that Chuck should be moving on. At the Buy More, Big Mike says it is time for things to get moving around here. Emmett Milbarge is introduced as an efficiency expert sent by Buy More corporate. Emmett announces that he will be interviewing the employees and evaluating their performance, "perhaps even trimming the fat" as he grabs and crushes the cheesy snack that Jeff had just purchased. The interviews don't go very well as Emmett writes his impressions in large, red letters across the evaluation forms, such as "untrainable" and "prostitute?". All employees answer that the one who holds everything together is Chuck. Several say WWCD, What Would Chuck Do? Chuck arrives late and Morgan warns him about the new efficiency guy. As Chuck meets Emmett, he flashes on a tough-looking bald man in the Buy More. Feigning sickness, Chuck tries to slink away but runs into the leather-wearing tough guy who shows a picture of Jeff and asks Chuck if he knows him. Chuck says no and suggests the guy check out the other 13 Southern California Buy Mores. Casey identifies the tough guy as Farrokh Bulsara, a global terrorist. Chuck's assignment is to approach Jeff socially to find out why a terrorist is tracking him down; the other option is to grab Jeff and having a federal team interrogate him. Ellie stops by Sarah's shop to talk with her about Chuck. When told that Chuck may be hanging out with Jeff ("Nerd Herd, creepy, serial killer Jeff?"), Ellie says they really need to talk. Chuck approaches the Nerd Herder Jeff and is cut off by Emmett. After a brief talk of Emmett's love life, Chuck ducks out of an interview, postponing it to the next day. Chuck catches up with Jeff and asks him out for a beer to which Jeff says "No thanks" but he can be enticed by, say, a dozen beers. Instead of going to Jeff's place, they agree to meet at the Buy More. Later that night, Emmett records his findings of the branch by saying there is "no sign of intelligent life." Jeff presents his Anna music video as tonight's entertainment. Ellie meets with Sarah at the apartment and says the she is worried that Chuck is slipping back into old Chuck mode, meaning no confidence and no direction. Ellie mentions that Chuck was only 12 credits short of graduating from Stanford. We then switch back to the Buy More to see Chuck pounding a beer which is also observed by Emmett who records various accusations in his recorder. Chuck asks Jeff about the guy who was looking for him. Jeff thinks it is one of his fans and reveals a video to Chuck that he has not shown to anyone else. It is the 25-year old news video of Jeff being the Missile Command world champion. The prize was $100 in quarters and a year's supply of Slim Jims. A trophy and the prizes were awarded by Mr. Morimoto. Chuck flashes on Morimoto. While watching the video, a van of terrorists pulls up to Buy More, which Casey notices on the Castle monitors and goes to the Buy More to warn Chuck. As Jeff has passed out, Chuck is forced to carry him out the back door; Casey told him that he's dead weight and Chuck finds out that he's not kidding. Ellie worries about Chuck but Sarah says, "You know, Chuck is like a duck. Sometimes it seems like he is just gliding along, but beneath the surface his little feet are just paddling away like crazy." Sarah says that deep down Chuck is mature and responsible. Just then he bursts in carrying the drunken Jeff. In the morning Jeff wakes and scares Ellie. Chuck hurries him to a waiting cab. Ellie tells Chuck he should go back to school and Chuck responds by saying that he still has all the goals he used to have. Back at Buy More, Sarah takes Chuck away before Lester and Morgan can announce that they have become best friends as a form of retaliation. In the secret room, we find out that Morimoto worked for the Japanese military and was in charge of actual missiles, loaded into a satellite that is laying dormant in orbit. Chuck is able to attack Atari headquarters with a computer virus as a cover for them to gain access to Morimoto. Chuck and Casey are not successful trying to enter as computer nerds in the computer nerd headquarters of Atari. Sarah, however, is a much more successful distraction and Chuck and Casey run up the stairs. Chuck encounters Farrokh and gets locked in a room. In the room, playing Missile Command, is Mr. Morimoto, the Japanese video game developer for Missile Command. We find out that he hid secret codes to a secret deadly satellite on the secret final screen. He says that the complex math to get to the final screen is based on the "music of the universe." We hear Rush's Tom Saywer as he is playing the video game. Casey breaks in and the nerd-wanna-bes wonder why Moritmoto is still playing when he said the bad guys have the code. It turns out that there is a bomb attached to the game console. Moritmoto urges them to run. Chuck refuses to leave him behind, but Casey doesn't give him a choice. They are able to escape before the bomb explodes, which incinerates Moritmoto. In Castle, Beckman says they will have to shoot down the satellite. Chuck puts forth an alternate plan to have someone play Missile Command to the final screen: specifically Jeff. Chuck is able to convince Jeff to play for that final screen but only under certain conditions. Grape cough syrup, M&Ms without browns, his lucky game console, Anna in a hula skirt and his fans to come watch; Casey tries arguing that Jeff's fans may have already moved on; when word spreads about Jeff, his fans immediately flock to him. While the media is covering the event, Chuck notices some static on the TVs and flashes on a local news station, where Farrokh plans to control the satellite. Sarah goes to the news station as Casey prepares to order that the satellite be shot down. Jeff prepares to play for the final screen but collapses under the pressure. Morgan says that someone must play the game and Chuck attempts to win the game but fails. He then flashes on a bystander's Rush jacket. The Intersect correlates the Rush music to the game. Remembering Morimoto's words about "music of the universe" being the key to win, he sends Morgan to find Rush music and is then able to play to the final screen in front of the crowd. Sarah finds and defeats the terrorists at the local TV station to gain control of the satellite controls. When Chuck unlocks the final screen and reveals the secret codes, he relays them to Sarah who can then control the missile satellite and avert World War III. After the rally, Big Mike congratulates Chuck for doing so. Also, he announces that Emmett will be staying as assistant manager. When Chuck gets home, he receives a Stanford diploma from Ellie who said Sarah and Casey arranged for it. It is for electrical engineering based on his "practical studies". He thanks Sarah for the thought and the fake diploma but she tells him it is real, earned from all of his field work. They share a romantic moment wishing on a shooting star or was it a satellite burning up in the atmosphere? Back at Buy More, Jeff walks up for once more round of Missile Command. Guest Stars * Bonita Friedericy as General Diane Beckman * Tony Hale as Emmett Milbarge * Faran Tahir as Farrokh Bulsara * Clyde Kusatsu as Mr. Morimoto Trivia *The name of the efficiency expert, Emmett Milbarge, is an homage to the 1980s cold-war comedy "Spies Like Us", where the two well-intentioned but incompetent spies are named Emmett Fitz-Hume and Austin Milbarge. *Farrokh Bulsara, the name of the villain, is the birth name of original Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury. *The reason it's called Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer is because the song Chuck and Mr. Morimoto play Missile Command to is "Tom Sawyer" by Rush, the "music of the universe." *Considering the fact that Missile Command was released in July 1980, it's not possible that the game is programmed to match the Tom Sawyer song pattern, because the song was actually released in February 1981. *The hands used to double for Zachary Levi's when Chuck is playing the game clearly belong to a man much older than him. *This is the first time you get to see how Chuck appears to others when he is Flashing, when Chuck hangs out with Jeff. Jeff says "Dude You are So wasted" as Chuck Flashes. *One of Jeff's fans gets a text message from someone called Normal Buckley, which is the name of the editor of Chuck's pilot episode. Quotes Chuck (to Morgan): Morgan... hey ah, buddy, do we carry any Rush CDs in the store? Morgan: No need. I got them all on my Zune! Chuck: You have a Zune? Morgan: You kidding me? No... no, I'll grab my iPod. Music * Air Supply – “All Out Of Love” * Daniel May – “On Sale Now” * Rush – “Tom Sawyer” * Tricky – “Council Estate” * Billy Martin – “At The Checkout Counter” * Stan Bush – “The Touch” * Grand Archives – “SleepDriving” Category:Season 2 Television Series Episodes